This invention relates to tissue sampling and removal devices, and more particularly, to biopsy and/or resecting devices which are used to obtain a tissue sample or portion, and cauterize surrounding tissue while the tissue portion is protected from the cauterization process.
Various types of tissue sampling and removal devices are shown in the prior art. For example, the following United States patents, the entire disclosures of which are incorporated herein by reference, disclose forceps having jaws in the form of a spoon or cup-shaped element with a cutting edge about the periphery for both severing a tissue specimen and retaining the specimen within the jaws after they are closed: 3,895,636 (Schmidt); 4,522,206 (Whipple et al.); 4,785,825 (Romaniuk et al.); 4,815,476 (Clossick); 4,817,630 (Schintgen et al.); 4,881,550 (Kothe); 4,887,612 (Esser et al.); 4,953,559 (Salerno); and 5,052,402 (Bencini et al.).
Devices of the type disclosed in the foregoing patents exemplify sample or exploratory excision forceps, which are introduced into the human body, pinch or cut off a tissue sample and hold the sample on removing the forceps. The tissue sample is then placed on a corresponding substrate, for further analysis.
After the tissue sample is excised, bleeding usually occurs at the excision site. Various methods and devices can be used to cause the bleeding to stop, such as application of pressure, suturing or cauterization. A number of the foregoing methods and means for causing the bleeding to cease requires post-excision procedures, which requires the insertion of other instruments into the body at the excision site.
Utilizing the device of this invention, excision of tissue, retaining of the tissue and cauterization of the excision cite can be carried out with a single instrument, with cauterization taking place immediately after excision and without damage to the excised tissue. This expedites the entire procedure and ensures that cauterization will take place exactly at the excision cite. There is no damage to the excised tissue, since it is protected within an insulated chamber formed in the jaws of the biopsy device. The cauterization is accomplished by passing an electric current through the biopsy jaws, after excision has taken place.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,953,559 discloses electrically conductive cup-shaped members, which in their open position, function as a dipole for detecting electrical heart signals. These cup-shaped members also are insulated from each other through an insulating body and pin. However, this device does not disclose the use of an interior insulating surface of the cup-shaped members to protect a specimen from cauterizing current. Moreover, although the devices disclosed in Schmidt, Whipple et al. and Kothe utilize an arrangement of overlapping cutting edges, they as well do not utilize an interior insulated specimen retaining cavity.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,934,115 (Peterson) discloses an apparatus for electrical singe cutting of a thin material such as hair or paper. The Peterson device includes a tubular portion comprised of an insulating ceramic material which has a slot having stationary lined edges which are heated by electrical current to singe material within the slot. The Peterson device is not a tissue sampling device, and does not disclose a pair of jaws having insulated interiors.
Accordingly, a need exists for a device to obtain a tissue specimen to be used in variety of applications, while permitting the tissue surrounding the specimen to be cauterized without subjecting the specimen to the cauterization process.